By M. Brist “GaleCrewe” (Minneapolis, MN)

Lois and Günter Hoffman sailed around the world (circumnavigated the globe) over eight years during their retirement. This is the tale of their first voyage from France to California. Lois is a personable, thoughtful, and observant narrator. She is a master weaver of the details and moments that made their journey one of immeasurable bliss.

However, Lois and Günter are honest about the hardships. “Cruising” is almost a misnomer. Sailing carries with it idealistic notions of calm seas and cozy days in the sun. But sailing around the world is not for the faint of heart. It is a mixed bag of good times and bad times. Rough seas and dangerous gales, unbearable heat and inhospitable harbors–contrast with evening sundowners, moments of solitude and camraderie, and delightful local color and history. In the end, Lois and Günter felt that the good times outweighed the hardships. But many cruisers come to the opposite conclusion.
Gorgeous and telling color photos illustrate almost every page of the book. Also included are regular informational boxes–detailing the history, flag, local items of interest for the region at hand, such as Morocco, Guatamela, and El Salvador. For readers unfamiliar with nautical terms, Appendixes A-D are helpful and can be found in the back of the book: Glossary, Beaufort Scale of Sea States, Points of Sale, and the Physics of Sailing.

Lois’ story truly shines when she speaks of the local cultures, the food, the scenery, and the emotional highs adventure and risk can bring. The life-meaning she has drawn from her experiences light up every page. Her raw feelings of stress, anger at difficult situations, and frustration with life being so out of control on the seas are not censored, but rather, tempered by time and wisdom. She has come to realize as she says in the moving last chapter of Maiden Voyage, “There is a certain peace in being out of control. It reminds one of how much there is to lose and how fast one can lose it…Our own journey has become a part of us, and Pacific Bliss has become our trusted friend and family member. Günter and I brought back with us a vision of a wider world, a world where values matter and differences don’t. With it came a new understanding and appreciation of cruising’s highs and lows, and indelible memories of the characters we met along the way.”

I highly recommend this book for anyone longing to leave their mundane life, and travel somewhere else, even if only vicariously. Highlights for me were chapters about Morocco, the Atlantic Crossing, the Kuna Indians of the San Blas Islands, and the trek through Costa Rica, as well as the final chapter, “Re-entering and re-evaluating our lives,” which will be meaningful to anyone who has traveled abroad for an extended period and has felt the pangs of disorientation that comes with returning home.
Read this book and pass it around! You never know, maybe you may be inspired to choose a life of adventure as well!